


Journey Through The Woods

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Hänsel und Gretel | Hansel and Gretel (Fairy Tale)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clara poked her head out of the TARDIS once, a wide smile on her face but upon seeing what was outside she backed up and slammed the door shut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Journey Through The Woods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VampirePaladin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/gifts).



Clara poked her head out of the TARDIS once, a wide smile on her face but upon seeing what was outside she backed up and slammed the door shut.

The second time Clara looked out it was just to reassure herself that she was seeing what she was actually seeing. You know, just to be sure.

“Doctor, I don’t quite think this is the beach escape I was hoping for.”

“What are you talking about, Clara? I promised you a beach and a beach retreat is what I gave you!” The Doctor sounded confident and positive right up until he walked out of the TARDIS himself.

The shorts and bathing suit covering Clara was wearing made her feel very out of place.

“A thick, terrifying forest is far from a beach, Doctor. I can’t see us finding any body of water that we can swim in around here.”

He tapped his finger against his chin. “I saw we look around for a little while, Clara. Surely, there must be somewhere we could swim.”

Clara suppressed a shudder. “Doctor--”

A shrill cry cut Clara off. It echoed through the woods, sounded very much like some sort of banshee or child. Hopefully, it was a child because Clara didn’t feel she was quite equipped to deal with a banshee.

The sonic screwdriver would only be so effective against one.

“That sounds ominous doesn’t it, Clara?”

“Very, which is why we should be heading back towards the TARDIS and finding a beach-- Doctor!”

Clara ran after the doctor, abandoning her bag full of beach items. It wouldn’t do her very good out here. This forest didn’t seem like it ever got a lick of sunshine. With it being so dark, it was difficult to keep up to the Doctor but Clara was used to it by now.

Another shrill cry rang out across the forest. Clara was sure it had to be a child’s cry this time-- or a banshee child. She was still hoping it was a child. Even a child banshee would be difficult and frightening to deal with.

“Doctor, wait.” Clara was a few steps behind the Doctor but caught sight of some movement out of the corner of her eye. “I see something.”

When Clara got closer she realized that the shrill cries had been coming from children. One was a young boy, the other a girl. They looked dirty and wore what Clara would have to classify as rags.

“Hello, there.” Clara smiled, not wanting to get too close to the children. They looked as if they might bolt or lash out-- both reactions perfectly understandable when dealing with complete strangers. “I’m Clara, can you tell me your names?”

The Doctor waltzed up beside her, blinking at the sight of the children. “Well, hello there unknown children. What are you doing in this forest on this very dismal day?”

Clara saw the children scoot away, scowls on their small dirty faces. “I’m Clara and this is the Doctor. Sorry if he appears a little strange. He’s an alien,” she whispered, a smile on her face.

“Oi, we’re all technically aliens!”

It brought a soft giggle out of the girl.

“Obvious this one’s an alien.” Clara pointed towards the Doctor, managing to make the boy laugh this time. “See, those looks suit you much better.”

The Doctor huffed. “It’s not that obvious, Clara.”

Clara held back a retort and crouched down next to the children. “Could you two tell me your names?”

“Dad said never to talk to strangers,” the girl whispered.

The boy glared at her. “Dad sided with that woman. We can’t trust him.”

“So we should tell her?”

She watched the exchange between the siblings, wanting them so badly to trust her. “It’s just your names. I can’t do anything with names.”

It seemed to instill a little trust in them-- or at least enough to get Hansel to answer her question. “Hansel and she’s Gretel.”

Clara slowly stood to her feet, still smiling but the nerves were making it fade. “Would you two hold on just a moment? Doctor!” Once they were out of earshot of the kids, Clara posed her question. “Those children just told me they were Hansel and Gretel-- as in the fairy tale.”

He tapped his chin. “I suppose it makes sense that the children could exist somehow. The Grimm’s were notorious for taking folk tales and stories from other people. It’s entirely possible that Hansel and Gretel could have been real people.”

“What do you think the Grimm’s fabricated about their lives?”

“I do hope it wasn’t the Witch. I don’t fancy fighting a witch, Clara.”

She laughed. “I don’t know how useful your sonic screwdriver would be against one anyway, Doctor.”

When they approached the children, the smiles had faded again. Hansel looked at Clara as if her mere presence was threatening. If the kids had been through half of what they went through in the book then it was expected.

“Could you two tell me how you got out here?”

“Why?” Hansel asked Clara, the suspicion obvious.

Gretel smacked Hansel. “Hansel, she looks like a nice lady. The man over there has an odd shaped chin and while I think it might poke one of our eyes out, I think he’s harmless too.”

“My chin only poses a small danger of poking one’s eyes out. It’s a very dull point you see!” The Doctor muttered. 

“Doctor, you nearly took my eye out twice.”

This earned another giggle from Gretel which was replaced by a sad expression. “It’s the third time dad and our stepmother made us come out here. The other two times Hansel used our food to lead us back home.”

“Made sure we didn’t have food this time,” Hansel muttered.

Clara swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. “Why did they try to leave you out here so many times?”

“Not much food to eat out here, Miss Clara.”

Hansel nodded in agreement with Gretel. “Without us, dad and stepmom would have more food.”

“Doctor…”

The second Clara and The Doctor locked eyes, he seemed to go instantly rigid. “Clara, no.”

“But, Doctor you heard them! Their parents left them out here to starve! We have to take them somewhere.” Clara had seen a lot but she couldn’t walk away from these children-- not after hearing what they had been through.

He huffed. “We can’t keep them, Clara! I suppose we can drop them somewhere nearby.”

Clara hugged the Doctor tightly, smiling up at him. When she broke the hug, she glanced at the children. “We have some food back in our ship. Would you two like some? Then we’ll take you somewhere you won’t have to go hungry. I promise.”

It took a lot of coaxing on Clara’s part to get the children to come to the TARDIS but once they finally came in, she knew they were doing the right thing.


End file.
